The Raven Boys (The Raven Cycle, Book 1) (Paperback)
Fall '12 Kids List
“Blue has grown up in a house full of women psychics who have foretold certain death for her first love. She unwillingly becomes friends with a gaggle of boys, the Raven Boys, from the very expensive private school in town. They're on the search for a mythical king who is said to grant a wish to whoever finds him. Will Blue's ability to intensify the magic around them help on their quest or put them in danger? The Raven Boys will pull you into their thrilling journey.”
— Hannah Johnson-Breimeier, Next Chapter Bookshop, Mequon, WI
Staff Reviews
Blue has been told her whole life that she will kill her true love. Coming from a family of psychics, she’s always accepted the fact, but didn’t really find it a problem until she meets the "raven boys." Rich students from the ivy-track high school nearby, each of the four boys is mysterious and quirky in their own way. Right from the first page, you get the feeling there's something bigger going on in the town of Henrietta, Virginia. Blue is a great main character and easy to relate to. She is splendidly odd, has a cool ability, and strives to be eccentric. Another great character, Gansey's enthusiasm for his quest to find Glendower is energetic and powerful. The excitement is contagious; I could just picture the light in his eyes every time he talked about the legend! The story moves well and there isn't a single lagging moment.
— Leahé "Stiefvater's novel, inspired by Manx, Irish, and Scottish legends of beautiful but deadly fairy horses that emerge from the sea each autumn, begins rivetingly and gets better and better . . . all the way, in fact, to best."-Horn Book Review, Starred Reviewé "Masterful...like nothing else out there now."-Kirkus Reviews, Starred Reviewé "A study of courage and loyalty tested...utterly compelling."-Publishers Weekly, Starred Reviewé "A book with cross-appeal to lovers of fantasy, horse stories, romance, and action-adventure, this seems to have a shot at being a YA blockbuster."-Booklist, Starred Reviewé "Up-On the sea-battered and wind-swept isle of Thisby, fall brings the famed and feared capaill uisce, or water horses, and with them, death . . . The author takes great liberties with the Celtic myth, but the result is marvelous."-School Library Journal, Starred Review"Stiefvater not only steps out of the young adult fantasy box with "The Scorpio Races" but crushes it with pounding hooves.... If "The Scorpio Races" sounds like nothing you've ever read, that's because it is."-The New York Times Book Review"Tactile world-building, an island full of compelling characters, and the budding romance between Sean and Puck all make for an unforgettable book that's quite unlike anything else out there."-NPR Books"With this beautifully executed drama, Stiefvater has established herself as one of the finest YA novelists writing today."-Entertainment Weekly"Tense, atmospheric, and utterly original."-People Magazine